North Shore Line

The end of the line came on a bitter cold night in January, 1963. (1963 was a bad year for passenger trains and other things as well). I was not around to see the end. Being in graduate school my last glimpse came during my Winter break. To the average person everything looked normal. Up to and including the final moment the North Shore Line operated as normal: in a class manner. Only the hordes of photographers and fans who came in flocks during those last few weeks gave any indication that the end was near.

My last major effort took place in May, 1962 with a trip that started at North Chicago Junction with stops at Zion, Kenosha, Ryan and finally Milwaukee itself. There were not enough pictures - but there never are. The first part of this page deals with that trip on 22 May, 1962. It was a cloudy day, raining off and on. It was also one of the few times that I used the Rolleflex with 35 mm film instead of the standard 120 that it took.

Pictures (1-4) were taken at North Chicago Junction showing a southbound train led by Pullman built 743. A two car southbound Chicago Express flies through the Zion station that same afternoon (5) while a three car northbound train is seen leaving the Kenosha station (6). The Kenosha station still stands now as a spaghetti restaurant. Sorry, no "Electroburgers"! The 6th Street viaduct in Milwaukee still exists today with the tracks. The northbound Electroliner doesn't (7) run on it anymore. The same Electroliner is seen at its traditional spot at the Milwaukee station in pictures (8-9). In (9) the old Pontiac is parked there - probably belonging to the switchman/crossing guard who is seen escorting "baldy" 757 heading out towards Chicago (10). A short time later cars 742 and 741 are running their last few feet of their 85 mile trip from Chicago (11) at the corner of 6th and Clybourn. They occupy their spot in the station next to that northbound train seen at Kenosha with 744 as the last car (funny but on this day we see 741, 742, 743 and 744!!!) (12). A two car Standard (1930) built train pauses at the Ryan tower which protected the freight CNW crossing. The tower is now gone and there is no trace of the once high speed electric line at this spot (13).